One more luxury fashion brand has joined the mass exodus from fur. St. John, a brand popular among fashion-conscious shoppers, from models and actresses to first ladies, announced today that it will go completely fur-free with its pre-Fall 2019 collection. The company has also prohibited the use of exotic leathers from animals like crocodiles, pythons and lizards from all of its collections.

St. John has had a long-standing relationship with the Humane Society of the United States, and we have been meeting with them since 2011. Tom Jarrold, senior vice president of marketing and communications for St. John’s, said that luxury today is synonymous with innovation and social responsibility.

“We have the means to create beautiful garments for women without using animals for fashion. We’re focusing on the creation of sophisticated knitwear, distinctive textiles and unique prints with consciousness in mind,” he added.

Fur-free luxury brands and retailers Gucci, Versace, Coach, Armani, Burberry, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, Diane Von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Farfetch and Net-a-Porter have already joined the fur-free cause. Last month, French fashion house Chanel announced that it was dropping fur and exotic skins from its collections.

The news from St. John, headquartered in California, is especially welcome because there is now an HSUS-sponsored bill in that state that would ban fur sales and manufacturing. The Fur Products Prohibition Act, AB-44, was introduced last month by California Assemblymember Laura Friedman and is the result of a growing momentum toward fur-free fashion in that state, in part evidenced by citywide fur sales bans in West Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Fur is an unnecessary product that results in more than 100 million wild animals every year being crammed into small barren cages on fur factory farms, to be killed by crude gassing or electrocution. The HSUS has long advanced the view that there is no place for such cruelty in fashion, and we are excited that in just the last few years so many major fashion brands have reached the same conclusion.

Please join me today in congratulating St. John and Chanel, responsible firms that are making this fur-free revolution — and the move away from exotic skins — happen.

A GREAT BIG Thanks, to everyone working to prevent cruelty to All animals.
Thank you Fashion corporations for stopping the killing of millions of innocent animals for their fur and skins. Thank you Kitty Block and your team for all the work you all do. Thank you to all the volunteers that stand for rescuing poor animals, birds et.ect.

So appreciative for your humane action on banning fur from you fashion line. I’ve noticed for the past several years that fake’ fur looks amazingly similar to the real thing! Personally I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing real fur nor would any of my good friends or family.

Thanks again. You did the right thing both for your business and the animals.

Congratulations and thank you for becoming more humane. Your products will be even more beautiful without animal skins. It is difficult to believe today any people find animal skin desirable. To me it is hideous and disgusting. I’m so proud of you for ending its use in your products. I’ll look for St. John in department stores.

Fantastic!! Thank you St. John and all the others who have made this necessary move to save the animals from this hell. Myself and many others will only buy from companies that do not participate at all in the sale of anything made from an animal. This is great progress!!

The Humane Society of the United States is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to The Humane Society of the United States are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The HSUS's tax identification number is 53-0225390.